I had just a few more thoughts related to my last post. Some aural tuners (you know who you are) brag about not even knowing how to operate an ETD. I believe this is an unfortunate, poor choice. I own an ETD, and experimenting with it really helped me wrap my mind (and ear) around the best way to do an accurate pitch raise (I adjust for tension change on the fly using aural checks and my intuition, if you're wondering. Trial and error...). It also helped me re-examine my stretching tendencies, not to mention critically evaluate my temperament setting skills. I ended up abandoning the ETD in the end because I wasn't happy with my results. I could tune a little faster, and get a few more things consistently correct, but I always had to go back over notes--even sections--to place things where they sounded the very best to me. If I was using my ears this much, I couldn't see the point in using an ETD. I could continue to hone my aural skills by throwing my ears headlong into it, always critically evaluating my results during and after the tuning was completed. As I see things today, I quite enjoy tuning aurally using the Open String method. I'm not going to make claims about the future of my career; experience has shown me that all kinds of unexpected, reasonable options may change the way I do things (I experienced one such major change already in my life in regards to my religious views/certainty. As a result I try to think twice before making sweeping statements about lifestyle). To each his own! Just make sure that it's YOUR own, and make sure it's the best that YOU can possibly do. -Ben P.S.--Tuning is a task that requires a lot of effort to learn how to do. As a result, most of us pour ourselves wholly into it, and it becomes a very personal experience. Let's not mistake critiques of method for critiques of character. Ben Gac, RPT Ben's Piano Tuning (630) 291-5654 - cell (708) 488-1450 - office Ben at BensPianoTuning.com www.BensPianoTuning.com
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